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My wife and I watched all three seasons on Apple TV and my review is mostly positive, with the caveats below. It was enjoyable to follow the interactions and transformations in the many characters who were part of the soccer team, coaching staff, and tangential relationships. At the heart of it all was the friendly, positive influence of coach Lasso, who didn't really care about winning so much as helping everyone become the "best version of themselves they could be." There's strong resonance with the Gospel here, as many publications have noted, but, in the end, not much more than a good humanistic message. We don't get that in too many TV series these days, so perhaps we should be content with that, even though I think it's unrealistic to hope for such without some kind of grounding in a religious perspective. So be it.

A few negatives . . .

1. Most serious of all: Ted's ex-wife Michelle dating her former therapist (who had been their marriage counselor) after Ted and Michelle split up. That's not only unethical; in the U.S., it's illegal. The counselor would have lost his license if that had been reported. Ted didn't like it much, but no one came right out and said this was seriously wrong! No one!

2. Not quite as bad was team owner Rebecca dating one of the players, Sam. That's probably not illegal, but it's certainly frowned on for many reasons. Eventually, they broke it off.

3. The language! I'm wondering if the Brits are really so linguistically impoverished as to require using the F word in almost every sentence. Coach Roy Kent couldn't even stop himself from doing so in the presence of his young niece -- 7 years old or so in the first season. I mean, was it really necessary to expose that young girl to such profanity? Oh, it's just words, right?

4. Back to spirituality. The only three people who seemed to have a little overt expression of it in the series were the New Ager, Zava, who was a great player, but couldn't last more than a year or two with a team as he was a consummate narcissist. The other was Rebecca's mother's psychic counselor, who had accurate predictions for Rebecca and her future. Or did she? I think the Mexican soccer player Dani wore a cross, and he made the sign of the Cross a few times, but the show ends with him bringing two dates to Coach Beard's wedding. God is good!
 
Posts: 3958 | Location: Wichita, KS | Registered: 27 December 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I thought of another thing that bugged me: "Sassy" going to Ted's hotel room the night he'd had a breakdown over his impending divorce. He opened the door when she knocked, then she walked right in. She knew almost nothing about him, save that he was "Marlboro Man," and she'd been lusting for him after Rebecca introduced them. They spent the night together and all that implies. Ted was freaked out by it the next day.
- Now, can you imagine if the roles had been reversed -- if it had been a man walking in on a vulnerable woman and spending the night with her? Maybe not rape, but taking advantage of her? Is that wrong if it's the other way around?

Sex in Ted Lasso could be another negative point, but what went on there seemed (with the exception of the above) so very much par for the course in today's TV and movie world as to be "normal." It's all largely about lust, not love, and so long as it's consensual, what's the big deal? "Girls just wanna have fun," and guys, too, no doubt. If somehow you end up bonding with your partner and are hurt when s/he wants to break it off, well, silly you for "going there."
 
Posts: 3958 | Location: Wichita, KS | Registered: 27 December 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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